Top 10 Best Dog Food Subscription Services
A dog food subscription service is a great option if you want your dog to enjoy a homemade meal but don’t have the time to cook for them. We think it’s even better than homemade food because the recipes have been professionally formulated to make sure they don’t compromise on the nutrition your canine needs to be healthy. Plus, most times, they arrive separated into portions, so you don’t have to measure and scoop. The only downside to subscription food is that it can be pretty pricey. We’ve compiled a list of popular dog food reviews, comparing factors such as nutrition and price to help you find the best choice for your premium canine.
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Why Fresh Food for Dogs?
Alternative foods are gaining popularity among pet parents. Disillusionment with large pet food brands, concern over the quality of ingredients, and an increased focus on how food affects a pet’s health have led many pet parents to consider a range of options from grain-free to raw food diets or making their own meals at home.
Fresh dog food delivery services take the place of making your pet’s food from scratch. They start with fresh, whole ingredients like lean proteins, veggies, and whole grains, package them up, and ship them to your door. These companies also make sure their recipes meet AAFCO standards for pet food, which means the foods include the vitamins and minerals needed to make a food nutritionally complete for your dog.
Many owners who’ve made the switch to fresh food say the diet has improved their pet’s coat, energy levels, and other health conditions. We weren’t able to test the long-term effects on our taste-tester dogs, but we can verify that they enjoyed each and every meal from this review.
You can feed these meals to your dogs as mixer add-ons and toppers to their current food, as a kind of dietary supplement, or feed them fresh food exclusively. If you’re using these meal kits as a supplement, the cost is lower. Whatever you decide, it’s advised to slowly introduce the fresh food to your pet to make the transition from one food to another easier on your dog’s digestion.
The 10 Best Dog Food Subscription Services
The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food – Best Overall
| Calories: | 1,200-1,600 kcal/kg. |
| Protein: | 38 – 50% |
| Fat: | 26 – 37% |
| Grain-free: | Yes |
The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to dog food, offering four different recipes that are easily matched with your dog following their short questionnaire. They’ll ask you for information about their health conditions as well as basic facts like their age and weight, and then find the food that’s best for them. We like how the ingredients are fresh and baked at a low temperature instead of scorched like industrial dry kibble. The slow-cooking process and flash freezing allow the food to retain more nutrition than modern conventional methods. All of the recipes also contain more protein and fat and lower carbs than most wet dry foods.
We wish at least one of their recipes included grains. Grain-free diets1 are now controversial because the FDA discovered a correlation to heart disease. However, more research needs to be done before we know anything for certain.
We like how their stringent quality control has resulted in zero recalls—an impressive feat for a pet food company. Their human-grade formulas are produced in the same facility as human food and are held to the same standards. Additionally, every recipe is approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for every life stage.
The Farmer’s Dog may be a bit pricey—starting at $2 per day and going up to $10+ for extra-large breeds. However, the food comes with free shipping, and there’s no prep required because the meal is already cooked and divided into meals. The Farmer’s Dog stands out from the pack, making them our best overall choice.
- Responsible quality control
- AAFCO certified for every life stage
- Four different recipe choices tailored to your dog’s needs
- Human-grade ingredients
- Expensive
- All of the recipes are grain-free
Hungry Bark
There’s no such thing as one size fits all, especially when it comes to nutrition, and that’s why Hungry Bark customizes meal plans according to your dogs’ unique needs. They make it simple for pet owners to find the perfect dog food they can feed their pets through a 1-minute assessment that’ll let them know a little about your pooch. The meals they offer are made from superfood ingredients, mixed with real meat proteins, and filled with probiotics, vitamins, and minerals – definitely, no fillers or artificial preservatives! Better food that’s custom-blended just for your loyal pet will make them live longer, so you can enjoy more years of fun life together.
Ollie Fresh Dog Food – Best Value
| Calories: | 3,850 kcal/kg |
| Protein: | 10 – 12% min |
| Fat: | 5 – 10% min |
| Grain-free: | No |
Ollie Fresh Dog Food is the best choice for the money because you can subscribe to fresh food or cheaper kibble. They even have a mixed meal plan that’s in between!
Their baked chicken and baked beef recipes are specifically our best value choices. Though they’re in kibble form, they’re processed differently than conventional dry food that has been stripped of its nutrients. These formulas are slowly cooked at a lower temperature to retain the nutrients while still providing a satisfying crunch.
We like how both formulas include oats as a healthy grain. Oats are a good source of fiber and are safe for dogs with gluten sensitivities that otherwise might require a grain-free diet. Other than the meat protein, the two recipes are similar, but some swap certain fruits and veggies for others (such as chicken has apples and beef has blueberries) or at least swap the order on the list (beef has more sweet potato than chicken).
Although Ollie’s isn’t a grain-free food, its formulas contain some plant-based ingredients commonly found in grain-free diets, such as peas and lentils2. An ongoing FDA investigation has found a link between grain-free diets and heart disease in dogs, citing these ingredients as a possible source. So far, there haven’t been any conclusive results, but it’s something we’re keeping our eye on as the studies progress.
- Offers two baked options: chicken and beef
- Includes oats
- Contains peas and lentils
A Pup Above
A Pup Above believes that ensuring your dog’s nutrition doesn’t mean you have to compromise the food’s taste! This subscription is made by dog parents for fellow dog parents, providing solutions for owners who want only the best for their dogs. These are cooked sous-vide to make sure that the nutrients and flavors are retained even after the cooking, creating a next-level taste that the dogs will really enjoy! You can choose from 4 available variants they offer: Texas Beef Stew, Turkey Pawella Recipe, Porky’s Luau, and Chicka Chicka Bow Wow. You can also try them all when you opt for the sampler pack. Made from human-grade ingredients, you’re sure to give what those puppy eyes want – fresh, delicious food!
Nom Nom Fresh Dog Food – Premium Choice
| Calories: | 1,200 – 1,500 kcal/kg |
| Protein: | 7 – 10% min |
| Fat: | 4 – 6% min |
| Grain-free: | Optional |
Our premium choice, Nom Nom Fresh Dog Food, is set up very similarly to The Farmer’s Dog. However, they have an edge because they offer one grain-inclusive recipe (turkey) and three grain-free (chicken, beef, and pork) options compared to The Farmer’s Dog, which only offers grain-free formulas. We also love how only one of their recipes (beef) includes peas as the main ingredient, which is a plant-based protein commonly found in grain-free diets but may not be beneficial. We also like how they include taurine3, an essential amino acid.
In light of recent studies on popular plant-based proteins in dog food, we’re not sure about potatoes as the second ingredient in the chicken recipe. However, there needs to be more research conducted before we draw any definite conclusions. Like many dog food subscriptions, Nom Nom Fresh is a little pricey and, unfortunately, doesn’t offer any cheaper baked options like Ollie’s. They’re a little higher priced than The Farmer’s Dog, with meals ranging between $1.55 to $10.65.
- Includes taurine
- Grain-inclusive and grain-free options
- Four recipe choices
- Fresh food
- All recipes are relatively expensive
- Potatoes are the second ingredient in the chicken recipe
Darwin’s
Darwin’s mission is to help pets and their owners to enjoy more years of healthy companionship together, which is why they developed a revolutionary method for feeding pets the right nutrition they need. By offering fresh, raw pet food that’s inspired by nature and informed by science, you’ll definitely make your pet happy and healthy. These minimally processed, raw food are made from fresh ingredients that your doggo instinctively craves – the highest quality free-range meats and organic veggies. Take a short quiz and leave everything up to them. What’s left for you to do is wait for the package to arrive and see that tail wags out of excitement!
Spot & Tango Dog Food
| Calories: | Unknown |
| Protein: | 11 – 14% for fresh, 26% for unkibbled |
| Fat: | 5 – 6% for fresh, 16 – 22% for unkibbled |
| Grain-free: | Optional |
We like Spot & Tango Dog Food because they offer so many recipes to fit your dog’s tummy and your budget! Their selection includes three fresh recipes and three Unkibble recipes with a diverse range of proteins. Only one of their options, the Unkibbled Cod & Salmon, is grain-free. Although their Chicken & Brown Rice recipe isn’t grain-free, it is gluten-free, which is great for pups that can’t tolerate wheat. We don’t like how all of the fresh options list peas as one of the main ingredients. Peas aren’t included in the unkibbled variety, which may be a better choice if you’re concerned about the possible connection to heart disease. Plus, the Unkibble option is cheaper, too.
We don’t like how these recipes omit taurine, an essential amino acid. However, you can feed your dog taurine supplements if you’re worried about it being excluded from their diet.
Strangely enough, the calorie count isn’t listed in the nutritional information, so we don’t know how it compares to other foods.
Overall, we thought Spot & Tango provides good choices to suit every dog.
- Versatile, fresh, and Unkibble options
- Grain-inclusive, grain-free, and gluten-free choices to fit your dog’s needs
- All fresh recipes include peas
- None of the recipes included taurine
Spot and Tango
For dog parents who want nothing but the best for their pets, Spot & Tango is one subscription to trust. They make it easy for pet owners to keep their dog’s life happy and healthy. Find your dog’s perfect food plan by taking a short quiz designed to match your dog’s current health with the fresh meals to feed them. These human-grade dog food are developed by a leading team of veterinarians and animal nutritionists and may help with losing weight, improving digestion, reducing allergies, and improving skin & coat, among a number of other health benefits. All recipes are gently cooked in small batches and exclude artificial ingredients, so it’s something you can feel good about!
PetPlate Dog Food
| Calories: | 35 – 41 kcal/oz |
| Protein: | 6 – 11% min |
| Fat: | 3 – 6% |
| Grain-free: | Optional |
We like how there are so many dishes to choose from with PetPlate Dog Food! Unfortunately, peas are an ingredient for all of their grain-free diets..
PetPlate is certified by the AAFCO, verifying that the food meets a canine’s nutritional needs. Although not as cheap as kibble, PetPlate isn’t very expensive compared to other fresh, subscription-based programs. They start at $2.50 per day and go up to around $10 for bigger dogs or specialty formulas, such as their venison-based meal.
- Lots of options
- Cheaper than some dog food subscriptions
- Includes taurine
- Grain-free formulas include peas
Sundays
All-natural dog food on any day, not just on Sundays.
As dog parents, we want nothing but the best for our pets. Sundays created something good for every parent out there looking for ways to revolutionize pup health. They offer dog food that’s much healthier than kibble and easier than home-cooked foods. Created by a vet, this dog food is human grade, air-dried, all-natural, and can be a great alternative to kibble. Tell them about your dog, and they would customize a plan that’s fitted to your doggo’s profile, available in three box sizes: Regular (40 oz), Medium (72 oz), and Large (144 oz). It has a treat-like taste and a fresh flavor that your dog can enjoy!
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Dog Food Subscription Service
Here are some things to consider when shopping for a dog food subscription:
Freezer space
If you’re buying frozen meals, it might go without saying, but you’ll need to budget space in your refrigerator and freezer to store your dog’s food. Knowing how much room you have will inform you how often you’ll need the shipments.
Price
Fresh dog food subscriptions are generally going to be more expensive than conventionally produced kibble sold at your local pet store. If you’re on a budget, there are baked options such as Unkibble by Spot & Tango that aren’t as expensive as fresh frozen diets while still providing your dog with a better dry food alternative.
Are grains a gain or a loss?
Unless your dog specifically needs a grain-free diet, recent studies suggest that novelty grain-free diets may no longer be the best choice. However, if your dog thrives on a fresh food diet that happens to be grain-free, you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the risk.
Final Thoughts
The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food was our overall best choice because they offer four simple recipes that are easily matched with your pet following a simple questionnaire. We like Ollie Fresh Dog Food as our best value choice because the human-grade ingredients are a cut above standard pet food while staying nearer the typical price. Nom Nom Fresh Dog Food was our premium choice that may be a little more expensive than some options, but we were impressed by their grain-inclusive and grain-free options. Spot & Tango Dog Food offers six dog food recipes: three fresh and three Unkibble options. Finally, Pet Plate Dog Food is an AAFCO-certified dog food that’s cheaper than many fresh food subscriptions. As people begin to realize the benefits of feeding fresh dog food, there are more and more choices for dog food subscriptions that holistically nourish your canine and give them the meals they crave.
